The Diagnostic Utility of Short-Term Video Electroencephalography at a Tertiary Care Center in North India: A Retrospective Study

Abstract

Purpose: This study investigated the diagnostic utility of short-term video electroencephalography (EEG) recordings at a tertiary care centre in North India. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted of 30 minutes of video EEG recordings done between January 2021 and January 2022 in children between 1 and 10 years of age. Demographic and clinical data were collected from the EEG register. Age, sex, the clinical diagnosis, the number of anti-seizure medicines (ASMs), the activation procedures used, and EEG abnormalities were recorded. Results: Data from 100 children (male-to-female ratio, 1.9:1) were analysed. The mean age was 5.39±2.02 years. The indications for EEG recordings were epileptic disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders, paroxysmal non-epileptic events, and miscellaneous in 66%, 18%, 9%, and 7% of children, respectively. EEG abnormalities were seen in 50 children (50%) and about 45% of children were on two or more ASMs. EEG abnormalities in sleep were seen in 35 of 66 (53%) children, whereas abnormalities were observed on awake recordings with activation procedures (hyperventilation and photic) in 23 of 34 (68%) children; this difference was not statistically significant (P=0.16) Conclusion: EEG abnormalities were significantly more common in children taking multiple ASMs; however, there was no statistically significant difference in the EEG yield between asleep and awake records with activation procedures. A better selection of patients for routine EEG, through an assessment of their clinical history and comorbidities, is warranted to increase its diagnostic yield.